Mower.



WILLIAM T. BENHAM, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed July 11, 1908. Serial No. 443,160.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W1LLIAM T. BEN- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indiana olis, in the county of Marion an State of ndiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mowers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in mowers, and particularly that type of mower in which the cutting edges reciprocate over the cutter bar.

The object of my invention is to provide a mower which will have a more direct connection between the knives and the drive than those in resent use and by this arrangement re uce the power necessary for operation. Furthermore to reduce the cost of construction by causing mechanism which heretofore performed one function o f the operation to be adapted to perform two; also to provide a novel springl cli which will prevent the breaking of the linives and reduce the wear and tear on the machine.

To this end my invention consists in a cutter bar comprising a series of guards over which a series of knives oscillate about pivot screws fastened in the roar side of the cutter bar. Spring clips hold the knives against the cutter bar, but are only of such strength as to allow the knives to raise when any foreign matter that cannot be cut gets under the knife and is apt to damage the same. All the knives are connected near their middle by a bar superim osed upon and connected to them by pins astened to the knives and loosely piercing the bar. The bar is fastened to one end of a lever, the opposite ond of which is pivoted at some convenient point on the handle. The lever is oscillated by lugs on the driving wheels and transmits power to the knives, through the superimposed bar.

My invention is illustrated in the following drawings, in which Fi `ure l is a side elevation of the assemble( machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the assembled machine, and F1 3 is a section taken along the line x in ig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, A is the cutter bar rovided with guards o1 inlaid with pieces o o harder material than the guards, and forming bearing surfaces for the cutting portion of the knives B. The cutter bar A is fastened securely to the frame E.

Knives B are pivoted at their rear end to the cutter bar A by means of pivot screws li which loosely pierce the knives and are threaded in a rid e ai3 of the cutter bar. Spring clips s hol the knives against the bearing surfaces of the cutter bar and are contiguous at their forward ends with the knives. The rear end of the clips areloosely held by the pivot screws l) and are free to oscillate about the same with the knives.

A .bar C is superimposed upon the knives and sprin` s near the end of the springs and about mic `way of the knives lengths. Pins b are rigidly fastened to the knives B and pivot said knives to the spring clips S and the bar C.

The bar C is provided with a suitable notch c near the middle of its length which receives one end of the lever D, the opposite end of uhich is pivoted at a convenient point on the handle F hy means of a bolt d1 piercing the handle and lever. The lever D carries on cach side near the middle of its length cam blocks d integral with the same and adapted to contact with the lugs on the inner edge of the peripherics of the driving wheels.

The frame E is fastened to the cutter bar A and members e, which are in turn fastened to the handle F. The driving wheels G' and Grx are att-ached to the shaft L which is journaled in the frame E. Their position relative to each other in respect to rotation is always the same, due to the fact that they are fixed to the same shaft. Lugs g and g1 on the pe ripheries of the driving wheels give the same a firm rolling' contact, thus preventing sli ping and also contact with the cam bloc vs d, d of the lever D and oscilla-te the lever, which in turn causes the knives B to oscillate by transmitting its motion through the bar (l to the knives. Also journaled in the frame E is roller shaft K, to which roller 7c is rotatively attached. Roller 7c affords another rolling contact with the ground and makes the cuttin r position of the machine more stable.

`he operation is as follows As the machine is pushed forward the lugs g and g1, which prevent the slipping of the drivinU wheels, contact with the cam blocks d, d olf the lever D and causes the same to oscillate about the bolt di. Lugs ,r/ on each wheel are longer than lugs gl, a short and a long always being exactly opposite each other, so that lever D will be thrown first to one side and then to the other. When one of the lu s on the wheel G contacts with its cam bloc r d? one of the lugs g1 on the opposite wheel G1 is C, which is coiniected to the knives and oscillates the same about their pivoted screws b. l

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ol' the United States, is:- l. A mower having in combination a cutter bar, knives adapted to shear against said cutter bar, a common connection for said knives, bearing wheels having alternate long and short lugs with the short lugs ol one l vent their slipping and to contact with the wheel extending opposite the long lugs of the companion wheel, and means adapted to be actuated by said lugs to actuate said conimon connection.

2. A mower comprising a cutter bar, knives pivoted to said bar, a common connection for the knives, a pivoted level' connected to said common connection, driving wheels arranged contiguous to each other having their peripheries provided with alternate long and short lugs to prevent their slipping and to contact with the lever and operate the saine, said lever having similar cam blocks on opposite edges for engaging said lugs.

3. A mower comprising a cutter bar, knives pivoted to said bar, spring clips to depress the knives against the cutter bar, a common connection for the knives, said connection comprising a bar which extends transverselT across the knives and spring clips, and pins iixed to the knives and projecting loosely through the clips and entering said bar, a pivoted lever connected to said common connection, driving wheels carrying parallel alternate long and short lugs to prevent their slipping and to contact with the lever and operate the same.

4. A mower comprising a cutter bar, having guards, knives pivoted to said bar, spring clips to depress the knives against the bar, a common connection for the knives, said connection comprising a bar extending transversely across the knives and spring clips, and pins secured to the knives and projecting loosely through said clips and into said bar7 a pivoted lever connected to the common connection of the knives, driving wheels carrying alternate long and short lugs to prelever and osciliate the same, and a roller to aid in holding the machine in a cutting position.

5. In a mower, the combination with a reciprocating bar having cutting knives, and a ringer bar over which said knives operate, of a pair of wheels having parallel alternate long and short lugs on their peripheries and adapted to increase the traction o the wheels, and a lever pivoted at one end and having its opposite end connected to operate the knives, said lever having its intermediate portion provided with similar lugs on opposite edges adapted to be engaged by the lugs on said wheels.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM T. BENHAM- WTitnesses W. S. LEMON, M. F. LAAKER. 

